URGENT APPEAL - THE OBSERVATORY
KGZ 001 / 1104 / OBS 088
Alleged enforced disappearance
Kyrgyzstan
November 25, 2004
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of FIDH and OMCT, requests your urgent intervention in the following situation in Kyrgyzstan.
Description of the situation:
The Observatory has been informed by the Kyrgyz Committee for Human Rights (KCHR) and the Legal Aid Society (LAS) of the enduring disappearance of Mr. Tursunbek Akunov, a prominent human rights defender and long-time leader of the NGO Human Rights Movement of Kyrgyzstan, since November 16, 2004, despite the initiation of investigations on November 19, 2004.
According to the information received, there are still no news of Mr. Akunov, who left his residence at approximately 5:30 p.m. on November 16, 2004 informing his wife, Mrs. Gulia Japarova, that his presence had been requested by the National Security Service (NSS) and that he was going to meet members of the NSS near the Ministry of Agriculture, in the centre of Bishkek, at 6 p.m.. His wife has not seen or spoken to him ever since.
Upon leaving his home, Mr. Akunov left his passport and a flight ticket to Kiev, as he reportedly intended to travel on November 17, 2004 in order to monitor elections in Ukraine along with a group of NGO leaders and journalists.
According to the aforementioned sources, on November 18, 2004, Mrs. Japarova informed the Sverdlov District Department of Internal Affairs about the alleged disappearance of her husband and on the following day the Department set up an investigation group for searching him. On that same day, a committee of human rights defenders, including Mr. Akunov’s colleagues, Messrs. Motuev and Nyshanov, started inquiring the competent authorities in order to find his whereabouts. In particular, Ms. Tolekan Ismailova, director of the NGO "Civil Society Against Corruption", spoke with Colonel Aitikeev, a NSS senior officer, who claimed they did not detain Mr. Akunov.
On November 22, 2004, the Ministry of Internal Affairs declared that an investigation was being conducted in order to determine where Mr. Akunov is to be found, with no results up to that day.
Since November 1, 2004, Mr. Akunov and his collaborators had been collecting signatures in the centre of Bishkek as part of a campaign to compel the Kyrgyz President, Mr. Askar Akayev, to resign within the framework of the People’s Patriotic Movement of Kyrgyzstan, founded in 2004 and headed by Mr. Akunov.
The Observatory is gravely concerned by Mr. Akunov’s disappearance, which may be linked with his activities in favour of human rights and democracy. The Observatory recalls that he has been previously subjected to arbitrary acts related to his defence of human rights and participation in peaceful protests for criticizing government’s policies. He has indeed been repeatedly detained along with other defenders (See Open Letter of the Observatory of May 7, 2004; Urgent Appeals KGZ 003 / 1102 / OBS 066 and KGZ 002 / 0502 / OBS 032). The Observatory has been also informed that Mr. Tursunbek Akunov had previously been detained for 5 years following a similar attempt to obtain the incumbent President’s impeachment through the gathering of signatures in 1998. He was then convicted for embezzlement.
Action requested:
Please write to the Kyrgyz authorities urging them to :
i. ensure that a thorough and impartial investigation be conducted into Mr. Akunov’s disappearance, so as to locate him and inform his family of his whereabouts in the soonest delay;
ii. ensure that his physical and psychological integrity be guaranteed in any circumstances;
iii. ensure the implementation of the provisions on the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders adopted by the UN General Assembly on December 9th 1998, in particular article 1 which states that "every person has the right, individually or collectively, to promote the protection and fulfilment of human rights and fundamental liberties at the national and international level" but also to "study, discuss, form and hold opinions on the observance, both in law and practice, of all human rights and fundamental freedoms and, through these and other appropriate means, to draw public attention to these matters" (article 6.c), as well as its article 12.2, which states, "The State shall take all necessary measures to ensure the protection by the competent authorities of everyone, individually and in association with others, against any violence, threats, retaliation, de facto or de jure adverse discrimination, pressure or any other arbitrary action as a consequence of his or her legitimate exercise of the rights referred to in the present Declaration";
iv. guarantee the respect of human rights and fundamental freedoms in accordance with the Universal Declaration on Human Rights and other international instruments ratified by the Kyrgyz Republic.
Addresses:
Mr Askar Akayev, President of the Kyrgyz Republic, Kyrgyzskaya Respublika, 720003 g. Bishkek, Prospekt Chuy, 205, Fax: 996 312 218 627, Email: ghpress2@rhl.bishkek.su
Mr. Nikolai Tanaev, Prime Minister, Fax: 996 312 218 627
Mr. Kurmanbek Osmonov, Minister of Justice, Fax: 996 312 663 044
Mr. Bakirdin Subanbekov, Minister of the Interior, Fax: 996 312 663 031, 996 312 288 788
Permanent mission of the Kyrgyz Republic to the UN in Geneva, Rue Maunoir 26, 1207 Genève, Suisse, e-mail: kyrgyzmission@bluewin.ch, Fax : +4122 707.92.21
Paris - Geneva, November 25, 2004
Kindly inform the Observatory of any action undertaken quoting the code number of this appeal in your reply.
The Observatory, an FIDH and OMCT venture, is dedicated to the protection of Human Rights Defenders and aims to offer them concrete support in their time of need.
The Observatory was the winner of the 1998 Human Rights Prize of the French Republic.
To contact the Observatory, call the emergency line:
Tel and fax: FIDH : +33 (0) 1 43 55 20 11 / 43 55 18 80
Tel and fax OMCT : (+ 41 22) 809 49 39 / 809 49 29
E-mail : observatoire@iprolink.ch